Life...

or needs.  This process is going to take a long time, but it is so worth it.

I have been blessed with wonderful children, that teach me everyday.  They are my world.  I love you William and Jessica!

This past weekend, actually on valentines day, my kids and I spent the day with a friend of mine and his kids.  We went to Boondocks and the kids played hard and ran around like crazy.  It was a fun time.  Then we went to my friends house and he had offered to do Jessica and Williams hair.  I told him he could do what he wanted, since he knows more about it than I do ;)...  It took several hours to do jessicas hair, but she was loving the fact that it was long.  After we rinsed her hair out she sat at the bathroom sink swinging her head back and forth with her long hair (long for her) hitting her face and splashing water all over because her hair was still soaked.  


William wasn't too happy with me wanting him to get his hair cut.  But he did it and now he is loving it.  He has received a ton of compliments at school and his karate about his hair.  Here are some of the pics of my kids new hair "styles"..   Love it.. and Thank you Willie, for doing my kids hair.  Your amazing with kids and have a heart of gold!  :)

So being single has been an adventure.  Having 2 young kids and going to school but not working, has made it quite hard to actually meet people.  Yes some may think that I would be meeting lots of people at school.  And in fact I do meet lots of people, YOUNGER people.  With the classes, prerequs, that I have been taking, most of the students are young and fresh out of high school or just a few years out of high school.  Personally our maturity levels and just life levels are quite different.  So although I have met people, I for sure have not met a single guy through going to school.  Which is fine.  But how does a single mom that is not into the bar scene, meet a guy???

Online dating you say???  UGH!  First I have to say that one must weed through HUNDREDS to find just ONE, that you might actually be interested in and that might actually be interested in you in return.  But don't get discouraged.  Have fun along the way and think of it as an adventure.

So over the past 18 months I have used several dating sites.  Some of them have been paying sites and a few that haven't.  Here is my personal opinion, only my opinion, on the ones I have used.

Eharmony:  I had heard great things about this site...  quite a few friends had suggested I use this site.  This site isn't cheap and I paid for 3 months.  To be totally honest it was a waste of time for me.  The process in being able to talk to people (unless you use the fast track which I preferred but most others did not) takes so long, you lose interest before you actually get to communicate with a person or share phone numbers/email/im's so that you can at least talk or chat.  Way too time consuming.

Match.com:  I paid for 1 month, 2 different times.  I went on quite a few dates from this site.  Now if you are looking to just "date" a bunch of different guys.  This is a good site to pay for.  To me is seemed that guys on this site weren't very serious though in looking for a "relationship".  But maybe thats just the kind or the ones that I came across.  Over all it was an ok site, but I think it costs more than it should.  But then I hate paying for this kind of service to begin with.

Singlesnet.com:  This one is ok.  I think if you are looking to see what an online dating site is about and want to try one out, this is a good one because you can actually meet people without paying for this one.  You can only contact members with more than a flirt, that are paying members, but at least you can contact and talk with them.  A lot of "players" here but also so real decent guys.  Its a bit expensive for one month, but is a lot cheaper if you want a longer term dating site to go with.

Plentyoffish.com:  This site is free....  you can meet a lot of people on here and it has some good specifications for not letting just anyone email you, which I really liked.  You can specify that people without photos in their profile, can't email you.  Honestly, why won't someone put a picture of themselves in their profile???  Your suppose to be honest in these things.  And I know many of them say "well if you say you looks don't matter that much then get to know me first then I will show you my picture".  Personally I just think its a little creepy trying to talk with someone and getting to know them when they won't show you who they are.  But thats just me.  Anyway great site to use and test the waters with online dating because its FREE!!!  free people!

LDSsingles.com:  I think this site is a pain in the butt...  you can't communicate with anyone unless you pay for it, although it does have one of the lowest 1 month fees that I have scene.  And when you do pay you never know if the others on the site are paying members or not.  So you might try to talk with someone and they don't ever respond back or even read your message...  why??  because they saw your profile and you just utterly repel them??  they aren't a member and can't read your message to begin with?   And many of the guys that I have actually been able to talk with claim to be active in their beliefs, but yet all they seem to talk about or want to talk about is sex.

So last month, with a dear friend of mine, we decided that we need to meet people through something other than online dating sites... its time to find some new avenues for meeting people...

For my "resolutions" this year I made a list of 10 things that I want to accomplish, in no particular order.  I made my list at the first of the New Year but forgot to post it here.  Funny, because one of my 10 things is to update my blog more often...  anyway here is my list:

1) Get a job as a CNA
     *  apply as often as I can at hospitals - try to get into one of their nursing programs

2) Finish prerequs and apply for Nursing Program at SLCC
     *  Pass Chemistry and Chemistry Lab with B+s or higher
     *  Pass Physiology and Physiology Lab with B- or higher

3) Lose 50 pounds
     *  go back to the gym 4+ times a week
     *  when its nice out, take the kids to the park and go on walks and bike rides with them
     *  Eat healthier and cook dinner at home as often as possible
     *  take lunch to school instead of eating out

4) Take my kids to church on the weekends that I have them

5) Update my blog at the very least, monthly
     * I don't keep a journal so write things in your blog even if its just a few sentences.

6) When the weather is nice do something with the kids each weekend I have them.  Try new things!
     * Take the kids camping several times, even if its just me and the kids.
     * go to the Gateway and let the kids play in the water
     * go on hikes - donut falls, brical veil falls, alpine loop, etc.
     * go fishing
     * take the kids to a hotel for a nigh just to play and swim
     * Antelope Island
     * Saltaire
     * Childrens museum in Ogden
     * Visit Price

7) Stand up for myself when dating and don't worry so much about "finding" someone.

8) Stay in better contact with my family and friends

9) Get all debt paid off, except school loans (start paying on them when you go back to work)

10) Appreciate more, all that life has given me and be more patient with my kids.
 

“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.”

- Helen Keller